Running Free: A beautiful weekend

Saturday, March 1, 2008

A beautiful weekend

I am tired today. The last four days has been full of good quality running. Matt and I are resting today and spent most of the morning loading up the truck with brush and clippings and hauling it to the dumps.

When I was a kid, the dumps was one of my favorite places to go. Well, it was one of my favorite places to go as an adult too. But the dump is different today, and it is not quite so entertaining:)

I have been a wimp with push-ups and have always done them girl style. Yesterday, I hammered out 15 boy push-ups!! Of course, not all at once, but it sure made me feel good. I just need to remember to do them and soon I will be really buff. Ha Ha. There is something so scrawny about my arms and back. I need some definition. FAST!

Last week I went to a sports podiatrist and he fitted me for some custom orthotics. I hope that they will help support my bad ankle. He is confident that they will. I also joined the Tamalpa Running group which is in Marin County. I am looking forward to running with them more often.

My good friends Chris Garcia, Tom Crull, and Olga Varlamova are running Old Pueblo 50 mile today. I hope they are having a great run out there. Rumor has it that it is very warm out there. RD's Duane and Juli Arter are just great. Unfortunately, this is their last year as Race Directors.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. It is a beautiful day here in Santa Rosa. Tomorrow I am running in Marin with some friends. Should be a hard run.

4 comments:

Olga said...: Thanks for sending good vibes, dear! Boy, was it hot...tell me again, why are we in it? :) Loved it! Miwok is the next get-away, see you there!!!; March 4, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Anonymous said...: Kelly,
Whats the beautiful horse photo?
I see Olga's mention of Miwok, What a GREAT run! I miss that one. Have fun.; March 13, 2008 at 6:28 PM
elizabeth said...: Hi Kelly,

I Like your blog. I grew up in Sonoma County, but live in Montana now.

I was wondering, from your pictures, it looks like you have used both the Ultimate Direction, the Nathan and maybe Camelback hydration packs. Which one do you like best. I'm still searching for one that will fit me well.

Thanks!
Hope you post more soon.; May 6, 2008 at 2:57 PM
kelly said...: Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I use both the Ultimate Direction Wasp and the Nathan Intensity. I love them both. I love that they have pockets in front for easy access. I am sponsored by Nathan, but I like that the UD is just a tad bigger. They are both light and don't bounce. I use a camelback bladder in both because I like how easy it is to fill during races. Ultimate Direction (UD) has a new womens pack like the wasp that a few of my friends like. I haven't tried it yet. I can't remember the name either. Good luck!; May 6, 2008 at 3:09 PM

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Not Even Lupus Can Slow Ridgway

NOT EVEN LUPUS CAN SLOW RIDGWAY Published on June 26, 2004 © 2004- The Press Democrat BYLINE: BRUCE MEADOWS Three years ago when she was diagnosed with lupus, Kelly Ridgway didn't take much time plotting her course. ``I figured I could lay on the couch and be a drug-seeker for pain or I could choose to be as healthy as I can be,'' said Ridgway, 46, an outpatient surgery nurse at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Ridgway, defying the odds, is entered in the Western States 100 Endurance Run, which starts at the base of Squaw Valley at 5 this morning and ends 100 miles away in Auburn. ``I see people at the hospital in horrible shape because of lupus, but I realized I had a choice how to deal with it,'' Ridgway said. Lupus is a chronic auto-immune disease affecting mainly women. The immune system attacks the body's own tissues as a foreign substance, producing antibodies to fight it. The cause of the disease is unknown although research has shown it occurs when a specific set of susceptible genes is exposed to a combination of environmental factors such as infectious agents, certain drugs, excessive ultraviolet light, physical trauma or emotional stress. Ridgway said she has been a ``serious runner'' for 14 years and has also competed in 50- and 100-mile events on horseback. She started running to get in shape after the last of her three children -- Caleb (18), Chelsea (16) and Courtney (14) -- were born. ``I've found I really love ultras,'' said Ridgway, a single mother who graduated from Montgomery High, then earned a nursing degree from Santa Rosa JC. Dr. Lisa Kremer, Ridgway's rheumatologist said, fatigue is the most universal symptom of lupus. ``For somebody to run 100 miles with an auto-immune disease is incredible.'' Ridgway first experienced flu-like symptoms, then fatigue. ``But when I started having problems with cognitive stuff, I knew there was something more to it.'' She was having trouble doing simple math or even finding her way around town. ``I thought of all sorts of things, including a brain tumor,'' said Ridgway. Ridgway has been training with Santa Rosan Karen Hanke, 42, and Suzanna Bon, 39 of Sonoma. This is the second Western States for Hanke, who finished last year in 29 hours, 47 minutes, running the last 70 miles on severely blistered feet. It is the first Western States for Ridgway and Bon. Because of the glut of applicants -- more than 1,000 annually apply for 400 spots -- runners must not only qualify with an acceptable 50-mile run time but also get lucky by having their name drawn by lot. Bon, whose goal is ``just to finish although I'd love to do it in under 24 hours,'' is impressed with Ridgway's effort. ``Kelly is strong and smart about training,'' said Bon. ``We'll run at our own pace this weekend, not together, but we want to do the best we can.'' Ridgway sees herself as a runner who happens to have lupus. ``My case is relatively minor and medication has really helped,'' said Ridgway, who logs 75 miles a week. ``But I don't know anybody with lupus who runs as much as I do.'' She has bouts of fatigue and deals with them. ``There are days I am really tired and need to come home and rest for a while,'' she said. But this weekend there will no place to rest. ``I'm not the type to quit,'' she said. ``I will persevere.'' Kremer said people with lupus react differently to the disease. ``Some have a real tough time with it and others take it as a challenge,'' said the doctor. ``In general, a disease like lupus provokes self-evaluation ... some patients look at it as a way to straighten out their lives, physically and socially.'' Kremer said most lupus patients with a positive outlook exercise to some degree. ``For them, making an effort is a personal victory.'' Ridgway, who left for Squaw Valley Thursday, has been on the Western States course before, having competed in the Tevis Cup horse race and also working the run the past two years as a medical helper. ``It's beautiful ... I fell in love with the trail,'' she said. ``I'm excited but not nervous.'' Ridgway will be tested following the race to determine how running 100 miles affects a lupus patient. ``I know I am capable of doing this.'' She likes to run, even 100 miles, because it makes her feel healthy and alive. ``Maybe in some ways this will speak to people who are trying to make choices,'' she said. ``You can push ahead and take charge of your life.''